New North Kesteven council homes handed over

The council has 1,461 people on its waiting list

A Lincolnshire council has built a batch of new council homes for the first time in 20 years.

North Kesteven District Council has opened five of 19 new homes after successfully bidding for House and Communities Agency funding.

The five homes, which cost a total of £513,000 to build, were unveiled in Wellingore near Lincoln.

Councillor Marianne Brighton of the Conservative-led council said the demand for social housing is rising.

Solar heating

The houses were built on Cumberland Avenue and Grayson Green in Wellingore by local building firm Taylor Pearson.

The Cumberland Avenue tenants were handed keys to their new houses on 4 February and the Grayson Green residents will get access later in February.

A council spokesman said renewable technologies including air source heat pumps and solar thermal heating were used in the houses with a projected 44% saving in running costs for tenants.

The council plans to build 35 council properties, including the 19 already built or under construction, with funding of £1.8m from the HCA.

There are 1,461 people on the council's housing waiting list.